Before anyone could speak, the Lord Captain addressed Keelah. "When we move, Your Royal Highness, please forgive my lack of protocol, but discretion of your return takes precedence."

The comment threw SG-1 for a moment until Keelah replied quietly, "Discretion or not, I do not want you to bow to me at all, Lord Captain. That is not why I returned."

He gave a head nod of acknowledgement. "As you wish, Your Royal Highness."

The young woman grimaced at the title. Knew it would be pointless to tell him not to use it.

The Lord Captain turned to the others, scrutinizing their appearance. "My Ladies and Sirs, if you could redress in your cloaks with the hoods pulled up, especially you, Sir Doctor and Sir General, as your faces were seen."

Keelah noticed her friends' surprise at the titles the Lord Captain had automatically given them, and explained as she also pulled on her robe. "You are clearly official soldiers of high rank to your people." She paused trying to think of a comparison to Earth's culture. "Here you will be addressed as the equivalent of a Knight." She didn't add that the titles had been given specifically because they were with her. The Lord Captain had assumed the team was assigned as her protective detail with herself in charge, rather than the reality of her basically being a tag along. She saw Daniel wore a thoughtful expression as he adjusted his glasses on his nose and guessed that he had figured that out. She sent him a pleading look and he gave a slight nod, agreeing to keep quiet.

"Once we clear the cells," the Lord Captain continued, "we'll be going to the inner courtyard. At the third arch we'll veer off. Please remain close."

The team nodded.

"Any chance we can get our weapons back?" Jack asked.

He considered where they were currently being stored. "To fetch them now, Sir General, would draw attention. They will be brought once we have taken Her Royal Highness to the safety of the residence."

"The courtyard is clear, Lord Captain." The young guard who had slipped out of the cellblock behind the King, reported in.

He nodded. "Take the rear and dissuade anyone who tries to follow, then meet us at the residence." He paused at the entrance, his eyes taking in at a glance the cleared corridor, confirming his man's report, then stepped out.

With Keelah placed firmly in the middle of them, they followed. They kept their pace casual, knowing that skulking would only make them look suspicious if anyone happened upon them. Though they were bursting with questions, they didn't speak. Corridors and courtyards had a nasty habit of echoing. In less than a minute they were out of the dungeon, had walked the courtyard outside and the Lord Captain was opening a door concealed in a stone alcove that opened inwards. Inside was remarkably free from the dust and cobwebs one would expect from a hidden passageway. Either it was used quite often or it was kept clean so that no accidental trace evidence was transferred when it was used. They suspected the latter.

"The corridor is straight for twenty paces," their escort explained in a low voice, motioning for them to keep moving. "Then there's a stairwell going up. We're going to the top."

A few seconds later they were plunged into complete darkness when the rear guard released the latch on the door and it closed. The team's training had them automatically reaching out to make contact with the person in front of them, their free hands running against the wall as a guide.

Ten paces in, the stone under Jack's hand gave way to nothing. He slowed, groping in the darkness. Two feet ahead he once again felt the roughness of rock. "Two foot gap," he warned those behind him, his voice barely a whisper. Daniel's hand on his shoulder clenched slightly, signaling he had heard. Annika's hand on her husband's waist squeezed, letting Daniel know she had also heard. The chain reaction of acknowledgement continued down to Teal'c at the back and took less than few seconds.

At the top of the stairs the Lord Captain didn't hesitate. He reached for a latch at waist height. Silently the wall opened inwards and he stepped out.

Curious they looked around and found themselves in an elegant bedroom. The crest above the bed told them it was the King's own room.

"Where's the other passage lead to?" Jack motioned with his head to the hidden passageway they'd just emerged from, referring to the 'gap' they'd passed.

The Lord Captain hesitated then glanced at Keelah. Figured given the circumstances these people could be trusted. "The back room of a tavern on the outskirts of town."

"Who else knows about it?"

Satisfied, Jack turned his attention to the room itself.

Keelah seemed to be drinking in the plush surroundings, her eyes lingering on the tapestries decorating the stone walls that she hadn't seen for over a decade. She caught sight of a distinctly feminine dressing gown draped over the back of a chair. "Corfy is married?"

"Yes, Ma'am. For almost six years now. They are expecting their second child in the summer."

"I'm an Aunty?" she asked in delighted surprise.

He nodded. "The Royal Princess is four years old." A doting gleam lit up his eyes. "She has the entire castle wrapped around her little fingers."

"What is her name?"

He gave her a poignant smile. "Kara'neenya."

"Oh." Keelah felt her throat clog up.

"You were never forgotten, Ma'am," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "There have been countless searches for you, every rumor, no matter how small, was investigated. We all lived in hope that one day you would be found."

Overcome with emotion, Keelah couldn't reply.

The Lord Captain cleared his own throat. To give the young woman and himself a chance to compose themselves, he walked across the room and opened the ornate doors, beckoning them to follow.

A little bemused, they did. The doors opened to a sitting room that was larger than any one of their houses back home.

"If you would remain here until His Majesty arrives. I will have food and drink brought up," he glanced at SG-1, "and your weapons. If you need anything, I will be just outside the door."

Keelah gave a nod.

He gave a bow and started to leave, but paused with his hand on the handle. Turned back. "May I say, Ma'am, that it is a joy to have you home again."

Her emotions threatened to spill over again and it took monumental effort to reply. "Thank you, Lord Captain."

Another bow and he was gone.

The click of the door closing behind him finally gave SG-1 the signal to let loose. Annika got in first.

"Keelah, why didn't you tell us that you're the royal heir?" There was no recrimination in her voice, just bewilderment.

"I stopped being that the moment I was sold."

"This says otherwise." Jack flapped his hand around the room.

"Would you have believed me?" she asked. "A slave professing to be a Queen."

"Hey, I'm a big fan of Cinderella," the general quipped. If there was a hint of snippiness in his voice it was because he didn't like surprises.

Daniel was more diplomatic than his best friend. "We've seen stranger things."

"The Goa'uld often take a newly conquered world's monarch as a prominent slave," Teal'c said quietly, his expression unreadable. "It is a public visual example of their dominance."

"I didn't want you to treat me differently."

"We wouldn't have," Sam protested.

"Wouldn't you? You work in a hierarchy. As much as General Hammond is your friend, he is your superior and you treat him as such even in non-work situations. I saw how all of you were when you came back from Washington. You were slightly awestruck by the meeting with your President. I didn't want to risk you acting like that with me." She darted a look at Teal'c. "You may not have intentionally done so, but you would have acted differently...and it was a fantasy," she hurried on. "I had no idea of the location of my birthplace. What were the odds that one of the teams would stumble across it out of the thousands of possible Stargate combinations? And so soon? I was...am...just growing accustomed to the idea of freedom..." She broke off, her gaze again sweeping the room where she had spent many hours of her childhood, changed what she had been about to say. "Even now I can't believe that I'm really here."

Daniel changed the subject. "Kara'neenya. I take it that's your birth name?"

She nodded.

"So 'Keelah', was that the name...assigned...to you by the vermin who bought you?" Annika asked.

"Which would you prefer we use?" Sam asked.

"Keelah," she replied without hesitation. "It is who I am now." To prove her point she tugged off the robe that was so similar to the clothing of her birthplace. As happy as she was to be here, it was strange to be back. She wanted, needed, something familiar to the new life she had only just started on Earth, even if it was just the visual sight of the BDUs she wore. Needed something to ground her from the mix of emotions coursing through her. Needed for the people whom she thought of as family, to not look at her as the Royal Heir but as Keelah.

Annika saw the swirl of conflicting emotions surrounding her friend and her real fear that because of her heritage their relationship would change. "Good idea." She began to remove her own robe, giving her a cheeky grin. "Keelah, you could have given us a heads up about the humidity here."

The young woman was eternally grateful to hear the teasing lilt to the redhead's voice. "Sorry, guess it slipped my mind."

The others were perceptive enough to figure out the real reason for robe removal and also stripped their robes off. It had the dual effect of making them feel more comfortable in the opulent surroundings.

Any further discussion was interrupted by voices from behind the door. They all tensed, eyes darting around the room for a possible weapon just in case.

"I'll take that in, Evie."

They all recognized the Lord Captain's voice, but the one that responded was new to all but one in the room. It was definitely a woman, with a crotchety tone that only existed from someone experienced in years.

"Last time I looked you ain't one of my serving girls."

"For today, close your eyes and pretend I am."

"No amount of eye closing will make you into a scullery," she scoffed. "And that reminds me, next time you sneak down to visit Rochel in the dead of night, take your damned boots off. The clinking always wakes me up."

It was clear from the banter that the two were close.

"I'll bear that in mind. Now let me have the tray. The residence is off limits for now."

"Reminds me of Margie," Annika murmured to Daniel, referring to the lady who had been like a second mother to her as she had grown up.

Daniel gave a nod of agreement. "Keelah, who is she?"

"Evie is the Head Cook." Keelah's face took on a tender look. "She's a permanent fixture in the castle. Father was trying to convince her to retire for as long as I can remember."

"Kinda possessive about delivering the food, isn't she?" Jack raised an eyebrow. He didn't know much about the hierarchy of servants, but he did know that serving food was not something the 'head' of any department did.

Keelah's smile was reminiscent. "The story goes there was an attempt to poison my Grandfather through his food. Since then she has insisted that she serve all food to the family herself. The standing joke was that she just took affront to anyone ruining one of her dishes."

The Lord Captain was still trying to convince her to relinquish the tray.

"I don't think the guard has a chance," Jack murmured, breaking out in a grin at the stubborn woman's next words.

"Oh phhf, I've been serving the Family before your father was an itch in your grand-daddy's under-britches. These eyes have seen more secrets than there are stars in the night sky. One more ain't gonna' matter. Now open that door before I drop this tray."

They heard the man heave a sigh, conceding defeat. A rattle of the door handle and his voice became clearer when it opened. "Just lay the tray on the table, eyes front, old woman-"

It took a moment for everyone in the room to realize that she was talking to Jack who happened to be unintentionally blocking her path to the side table.

"Begging your pardon, ma'am." The general hastily stepped aside.

"I'm no 'ma'am'. Just plain 'Evie', but it's nice to see a youngun' with some manners." The woman, ninety if she was a day, balanced the tray on one hand and with practiced ease began laying out the dishes of food. In between arranging the plates she wagged a finger at the Lord Captain. "Gerino, you could learn a thing or two from this man I'm not looking at."

The Lord Captain gave the group a pained look that was also apologetic for the intrusion.

Keelah couldn't stop her low chuckle of delight. The kingdom may have changed, but some things were the same.

Evie looked up sharply. I know that laugh! She hadn't heard it for over a decade, but the thirteen years preceding, it had been a constant echo within the castle walls. For the first time she actually looked at the people in the room. Immediately dismissed five as people unknown then craned her neck to see Keelah standing behind Daniel. "Gods preserve us!"

The tray, thankfully now empty, went flying, and it was only Teal'c's quick reflexes that stopped him from getting knocked out for a second time that day.

"'Neenya!" With speed that broke the laws of physics for someone her size, she was across the room, engulfing Keelah in a tight hug. "My 'Neenya. The gods have guided you back to us."

"Hello, Evie."

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?" The cook sniffed, not trying to stop her tears of joy.

"I missed you," Keelah choked, from both emotion and the bear hug. "Need to breathe, Evie."

The woman relaxed her grip marginally. "I've missed you too. The whole kingdom was devastated when you were taken." Moved away only enough so that she could pick up the hem of her apron to dab her eyes dry. She turned to SG-1. "You brought our child back to us?"

"Group effort," Daniel replied, reaching for another tissue for Annika, then after a glance at Sam and seeing her just as misty-eyed, passed a second one to the blonde.

The cook then did something she had never felt compelled to do in all her years. She gave the group a deep curtsy. "You have the land's gratitude."

"But I'm not a child anymore," Keelah gently pointed out.

"You'll always be my little 'Neenya and a child of this land," she huffed. "Just like your father was and his father before him."

"Was, Evie?" Keelah asked, her heart constricting. She'd suspected as much in the briefing room when she had found out that her brother was King. Had held out the hope that her father had simply retired.

Evie's face creased with grief. "I'm sorry, 'Neenya. The King passed away going on seven years. His heart. He lived long enough to see Corfen'esci'que's betrothal bring peace to the land."

Teal'c also passed over a tissue to Keelah. When he would have extended an arm for an embrace of comfort, Evie beat him to it.

Fighting back tears, Keelah clung to the woman who had helped raise her, both grieving for the man they had both loved. "And Ma'mam?" Her question was barely a whisper.

"Just under three years now," Evie pulled her emotions back in a little. "They say that it was a sickness of the lungs. But I think she couldn't bear to live without your father anymore. She did her duty...ruling until Corfen'esci'que came of age, saw him married to finalize the peace pact. When Her Royal Princess was born she was assured the bloodline would continue. Her duty done, she joined her soul mate." The cook drew in a ragged breath. "Her only regret was not knowing what had befallen her firstborn."

Trying to pull herself together, Keelah grasped at the positive that Evie had revealed. "Corfy's betrothal ended the feud?"

Evie nodded, dabbing at her eyes again. "Your father and King Dorduei arranged the marriage of his daughter Xa'bella and Corfen'esci'que, uniting the two lands."

"It's good that our people are at peace after generations of hostilities," Keelah said softly, but her heart ached for her brother who had been forced into the marriage, given no choice. "Is Corfy happy?"

"Very," Evie assured. "Both he and Xa'bella are. Their courtship may have happened after the marriage, but they are very much in love."

They shared a smile and then the cook asked the inevitable question.

"How is it that you have returned?"

"That is something I would like to know as well."

The King's quiet voice came from the doorway.

Evie gave a final wipe of her apron. "Oh, Sire, isn't it wonderful?"

"It certainly is," he agreed. He raised an eyebrow at the Lord Captain

"That's alright, Gerino," he replied with a hint of amusement. "Even I know there are some forces that can't be reckoned with."

Though Evie's desire to remain and find out the missing details of the decade Keelah had been gone was strong, she didn't need to be told the siblings wanted some privacy. "Tonight I shall prepare a feast in honor-"

The King cut her off. "Evie, I know you're excited, we all are, but not a word to anyone for the moment."

"But, Sire-"

"No buts, Evie. Kara'neenya's safety depends on secrecy."

It was the right warning to give because further protest evaporated. "My lips are sealed, Sire." She waggled a finger at Keelah. "You're much too skinny." The finger swept around the room to include all of them. "You all look like you could do with some home cooking. I'll be making up a meal that will have you adding another notch in your belts." She beamed a wide smile, bobbed her head to the monarch and hurried out.

The Lord Captain followed her and shut the door behind him. For a moment there was complete silence, no one knowing quite where to begin.

The King, still finding it hard to believe that his sister was here, took a few steps closer to her. "I guess Evie filled you in on the castle gossip?" he joked though there was concern in his eyes.

She nodded. "Ma'mam and Father..." She grasped her twin's hand tightly. Their gazes locked and Keelah felt a rush of both grief and joy. Grief over their parents' deaths. Joy that in that moment she once again experienced the silent communication that had existed between them as children. "But I believe I'm an Aunty...almost twice over?"

The King's face lit up in fatherly pride.

"When will I get to meet her...and Xa'bella?"

"They've been cooped up in the castle for the last few days. They are getting some much needed fresh air, but first I'd like...need...to know about you."

"Please, Corfy, just give me a few minutes to..." her voice drifted off. Last night she had run over and over in her head what she would say. Now all that careful preparation dissolved.

He nodded in understanding. Suddenly he became aware that he had totally ignored the very people who had reunited him with his sister. Gave them a sheepish grin. "I believe introductions are long overdue."

As the traditional spokesperson, Daniel finished the introductions that had begun in the throne room.

"Given the circumstances, please dispense with formality and call me Corfy." His expression became one of complete sincerity. "Please, accept my wholehearted apology for your treatment upon your arrival and my undying thanks for returning Kara'neenya home."

The team nodded and Jack was about to ask him to elaborate on their arrest, but the King directed the conversation with his next question.

"You come from which planet?"

"We call it Earth," Daniel answered. "But our people are known as the Tau'ri in some galaxies."

There wasn't an ounce of recognition on the man's face at the name as he turned back to his sister. "And this is where you've been all these years?"

Keelah shook her head. "Just the last couple of months." She halted, unsure of where to begin, of how much to say.

"Would you rather be alone with your brother?" Teal'c asked. He knew how difficult she found it to speak of what she had endured, even with people who cared for her.

Corfy raised an eyebrow at the gesture but said nothing.

Figuring this was going to be a lengthy discussion, they made themselves comfortable. Corfy, Keelah and Teal'c sat on the couch, while Jack and Sam moved to the love seat. With only a single armchair remaining free in close proximity, Annika gestured for Daniel to take it and she settled on the floor, leaning back between her husband's legs.

Giving Keelah a chance to gather her thoughts, Daniel launched into a more in depth history of their use of the Stargate, ending with how during the rescue mission of SG-2 they also wound up taking Keelah with them.

The King paled. "You were being sold?"

Keelah nodded. "For the second time..." Slowly she began recounting what had happened to her from when she had been taken. The ambush of the guards and being knocked unconscious, waking up in a cell on board a cargo ship; being transferred to a larger ship lined with cells packed with other prisoners; sold to the man she would call Master for the next decade. She tried to skim over the more brutal parts, but she should have known that her brother wouldn't let her get away with that.

He squeezed her hand gently. "And the scars, Kara?"

She gave a self-conscious shrug. "You know me, Corfy. Without a just explanation of the rules I was never very good at following them." She refrained from mentioning that only accounted for less than half of her scars. The majority had been at her Master's whim whether she'd committed an infraction or not.

"Is that all he did to you, Kara?" Corfy hated to ask the question. Needed to know the answer.

Keelah couldn't bring herself to admit to her brother that she had been repeatedly raped from the second month in her Master's household. Yet Corfy saw the admission in her eyes. His eyes stung with unshed tears for what she had been through.

She drew in a shaky breath. "But that is in the past. My Master grew tired of me and sold me again." She waved a hand at SG-1. "And the rest you know."

Corfy struggled to maintain his composure. Needing something else to focus on rather than the hell his twin had been through, he addressed the team. "How did you find our home?"

"Um...twist of circumstance," Sam admitted. She explained about the SGC computer randomly dialing 'gate addresses and how SG-5 had been the scouting team sent.

"You really do want to trade for the language pill?" The King's eyebrows shot up.

"Absolutely," Daniel confirmed.

"And I had a déjà vu vision of the town here," Annika added. "I recognized it as the same place as the images I'd received from Keelah the first time we met."

"'Keelah'?" His head swiveled back to his sister.

"It is the name I use now," she said softly but firmly.

The King looked like he was going to press the issue, instead turned his attention back to Annika. "Visions?"

The redhead nodded. "I'm a psychic. I receive images of people, places, emotions, anything really. It can be past, present or future."

"And she's very accurate," Daniel couldn't help but add. "Hasn't been wrong yet."

The King was already in a state of disbelief over the morning's events, so the skepticism that normally would have reared its head stayed mutely in the back of his mind. And besides which, this so called vision had played a part in returning his sister. He couldn't, wouldn't, argue with that proof.

"At the same time," Sam continued on, "I was working on trying to locate a certain mineral we've recently gained a sample of. Our initial readings show that-"

"Let me guess," Corfy interrupted. "This mineral is also here."

The blonde nodded.

He gave them a bemused smile. "It seems that the Fates conspired to bring you here at this time."

Annika grinned. "In triplicate."

Jack cleared his throat. "Well, now that you know our story. Why don't you fill us in on what's going on here?"

They all saw Corfy's expression change. The brother turned into the King in the blink of an eye. An angry, worried, frustrated King.